Beachfront Spanish in Peru: Study, Surf, Volunteer

I took my Spanish lessons some years ago in Pimentel. I am still very glad I did that and would say my Spanish is still useable :-) When I arrived I only spoke a few words and common sentences but within the 3 weeks lessons I almost got to know the whole gramma and a bunch of vocabulary. Besides the lessons we also had a lot of funny leisure offers like cooking classes, salsa classes or trips on the weekend to nice places nearby. Sometimes we also took some lessons right at beach which I enjoyed a lot. Also I made a lot of german and peruvian friends :)

I just got back to visit all of my friends and the school and I have to say that I would love to do it again right now as they have a new very beautiful house and it seems that everything is a bit more organized than five years ago, but unfortunately I had to go back to work.

Nevertheless the time I spent there in 2012 is still unforgettable for me and I would not want to miss this experience.

Saludos

Learned Spanish in Pimentel with Academia Superior and had a really great time! Afterwards worked 2 months in a social project taking care of children - my coordinator and the kids have been amazing. If you get into the friendly but very different latin american or peruvian culture you will have a great experience.
One of the highlights for me have been the different beaches and great waves on the northern peruvian coastline! I heard from some folks that the beaches are the best in the world to surf and this might be true. Pimentel is nice for beginners and advanced surfers, but you have extremely much to visit in the near. Pacasmayo, Puerto Chicama and Malabrigo where you can find the longest lefthanders worldwide. I can also recommedn Lobitos, Cabo Blanco or Órganos. Really didnt like so much Mancora. Anyway you can reach surfing hotspots easily from Pimentel, rent boards or take surfing classes also for advanced people and tours over Academia Superior.

Spanish classes top!
Surfing experience top!
Volunteer experience top!

The great thing about learning spanish here in Pimentel, is not only that you are in a beach town and around the main city of Chiclayo where you can find all the things you need but you can also travel to different regions of Peru like Chachapoyas that is only a few hours away from the placement here in Pimentel! This region is in the department of the Amazonas and it is so beautiful!! You can visit the highest waterfall in Peru which is the Catarata Gocta and also visit the ancient ruins of Kuelap that is on top of beautiful, tall, green mountains in the Amazonas!

Besides the fact that you are right next to the beach and you can feel the ocean breeze if you open up a window in the school, the spanish classes here are so helpful and will really make a huge impact on you spanish speaking and writing skills! The classes are very simple and calm so you dont feel stressed in the classroom environment or feel pressured to learn everything all at once because the teachers are very patient and Peru is known to have mellow relaxed environment!

If you want to learn Spanish or improve your Spanish and learn how to surf or if you already know and just want to surf on the regular, this Spanish school is your haven! You will meet people from all over the world and they will most likely be your class mates as well! Everything about learning Spanish and surfing in a foreign country is so exciting because you will learn so much about different parts of the world and have a great time with your freedom in Peru!!

Taking Spanish classes in Pimentel is such a great experience for so many reasons! You get to study the language with some helpful, friendly and really cool teachers/coordinators that make sure you are always on track with the lesson and comfortable in the classroom setting. It really pays off and with in a couple of days you will already be able to hold a well conversation with Spanish speakers! Not to mention you are beachfront so if you want on your break you can go walk outside out of the school and there´s the beach waiting for you!

Learning spanish and surfing in Pimentel was the perfect combination! When I arrived I had a very basic understanding of spanish, and over the course of three months and daily classes I was able to learn all the grammar and verb tenses and improve my conversation skills immensely. During my studies I received instruction from three different teachers, all of them very personable, helpful, and well prepared. I always looked forward to my classes and left feeling accomplished. While I mostly had individual classes, I also had some group classes, and both had their unique benefits. The staff at ASI, the teachers, coordinators and management, were helpful and accommodating to my travel plans and I was able to make up the classes I missed. I will always look back on my studies at ASI as the time I truly learned spanish.

Surfing in Pimentel was the perfect counterpart to my studies. Every morning and most afternoons I would walk across the street to the ocean, where 95% of the time there were surfable waves (I was there January - March). When I arrived in Pimentel I had some experience surfing, but took a few lessons with the surf school that works with ASI anyway, and the instructors were very helpful and I got some great rides my first day. After that I worked with the instructors and local surfers to learn about the various breaks in Pimentel. Also, through ASI I was able to take a surf trip visiting some of Peru's best and most famous surf spots: Huanchaco, Pacasmayo, Lobitos, and the world's longest wave, Chicamas. Overall, my experience with ASI's surf program was awesome!

The school of Academia Superior de Idiomas is located in the department of Lambayeque, and is part one of the districts of the main city of Chiclayo. We are placed in a welcoming, warm beachtown of Pimentel. Pimentel is a sea side community, that has an amazing, long pier to enjoy by going on walks, watching the local surfers, get some amazing views of the sunset, ocean, the town, or you can even jump off of it into the ocean! The town is known for its famous fishers that use their famous fishing boats, called "Caballitos de Totora" or their traditional reed boats, which are narrow bamboo rafts. The caballitos de totora are an amazing sight, and especially when you see the local fisherman put them to use out in the water, it is an experience that only happens here in Peru! What is most appealing about the program location is that there are not many tourists here, so you really are enriched with the authentic Peruvian lifestyle.

The school is so supportive of your travels, no matter what it is! The staff makes sure you are feeling comfortable at your program and during your entire stay, with being very welcoming hosting fun activities for all the clients and offering any help/assistance they can give to make sure you have a great time!
Whether you wanna surf, tan, go on long walks on the pier, try the delicious Peruvian ceviche, visit different beautiful cities around Pimentel, or go out with friends on a cool night at some of the local disco techs, Pimentel is sure not to disappoint!